I had the chance opportunity over the weekend to speak to a player on the basketball team last year. For whatever reason, he spoke very candidly about his thoughts on Weber and last year. All I said to him to get him started was "Last year was kind of mess, huh?"
Not that any of this info is a total surprise. It was more of a surprise how candidly he spoke. It's what some of us expected, but here it goes. Drug use was rampant. He specifically mentioned Marcus, Nigel, Malek, Tre, and Jevon. He said he felt like the problem could have been dealt with in the beginning, but Bruce just chose to ignore it. He said Coach Weber had all the information available to him. He can't plead ignorance.
In one particular situation he said that Coach Weber called him a liar to his face. When the truth came to light and could no longer be avoided, all of the assistants apologized to him, but Bruce never did. He called Bruce two-faced, that he talks about family and team chemistry and all that in public, but he called it a joke. He said last year was the worst basketball experience of his life.
He said and I quote. "Marcus was a horrible person and teammate, but Nigel was even worse." The story on Jevon's suspension. He was thrown off the team. He walked out of practice. I guess he said he had an injury. Weber asked if he had seen a trainer. Jevon said no. Weber basically said if you leave you're gone. He left. Later Bruce said if you apologize to the team you can return. He did, but then privately told his teammates he was only apologizing to play out the year. He was transferring regardless.
On a more positive note. Thinks Dean Wade is a great kid. Says Iwundu will most likely be much more focused and improved with the detractors gone. Thinks Dante is great as well.
He also mentioned the team surgeon committing suicide days after Karaptyan's last foot surgery. I hadn't heard that. Anybody know the story there? He said he felt really bad for him as his career is over
Lastly, he said Bruce will hopefully be gone after this season. He doesn't see how we can win with so many freshman. Perhaps the very worst thing he said was, and I quote. "There are so many things I can't say, but if I knew my basketball career was over and I no longer wanted to play, I could have Coach Weber fired tomorrow."
Now I suppose this player has an axe to grind, but still. I wasn't pressing him at all. He just went on and on. He did say he loved being in Manhattan and K-State was great. The basketball experience just totally sucked.
I thought about not posting this in deference to him, because I suppose anyone close to the program could connect the dots and figure out which player this is, but it wasn't like he was doing me a favor by telling me any of this. This was his choice. I was a little ambiguous as to some of the details as to not totally throw him under the bus. Anyway, just one player's opinion of the state of the program. Pretty much what a lot of us already suspected was the case. Just helped confirm it for me. I just wish AD John Currie would have pulled the trigger last year. I'm guessing it's just a matter of time out of necessity.
Not that any of this info is a total surprise. It was more of a surprise how candidly he spoke. It's what some of us expected, but here it goes. Drug use was rampant. He specifically mentioned Marcus, Nigel, Malek, Tre, and Jevon. He said he felt like the problem could have been dealt with in the beginning, but Bruce just chose to ignore it. He said Coach Weber had all the information available to him. He can't plead ignorance.
In one particular situation he said that Coach Weber called him a liar to his face. When the truth came to light and could no longer be avoided, all of the assistants apologized to him, but Bruce never did. He called Bruce two-faced, that he talks about family and team chemistry and all that in public, but he called it a joke. He said last year was the worst basketball experience of his life.
He said and I quote. "Marcus was a horrible person and teammate, but Nigel was even worse." The story on Jevon's suspension. He was thrown off the team. He walked out of practice. I guess he said he had an injury. Weber asked if he had seen a trainer. Jevon said no. Weber basically said if you leave you're gone. He left. Later Bruce said if you apologize to the team you can return. He did, but then privately told his teammates he was only apologizing to play out the year. He was transferring regardless.
On a more positive note. Thinks Dean Wade is a great kid. Says Iwundu will most likely be much more focused and improved with the detractors gone. Thinks Dante is great as well.
He also mentioned the team surgeon committing suicide days after Karaptyan's last foot surgery. I hadn't heard that. Anybody know the story there? He said he felt really bad for him as his career is over
Lastly, he said Bruce will hopefully be gone after this season. He doesn't see how we can win with so many freshman. Perhaps the very worst thing he said was, and I quote. "There are so many things I can't say, but if I knew my basketball career was over and I no longer wanted to play, I could have Coach Weber fired tomorrow."
Now I suppose this player has an axe to grind, but still. I wasn't pressing him at all. He just went on and on. He did say he loved being in Manhattan and K-State was great. The basketball experience just totally sucked.
I thought about not posting this in deference to him, because I suppose anyone close to the program could connect the dots and figure out which player this is, but it wasn't like he was doing me a favor by telling me any of this. This was his choice. I was a little ambiguous as to some of the details as to not totally throw him under the bus. Anyway, just one player's opinion of the state of the program. Pretty much what a lot of us already suspected was the case. Just helped confirm it for me. I just wish AD John Currie would have pulled the trigger last year. I'm guessing it's just a matter of time out of necessity.
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